Openly gay kicker hopes to be chosen in NFL draft

April 26, 2013 4:39:35 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES --

It's arguably the most exciting weekend for any hopeful future NFL player. As the clock ticks and player after player is picked up by NFL teams, Alan Gendreau waits to see when and if his name will be called.

What's so special about the kicker from Middle Tennesse State? Well, aside from his 295 points, he is the first openly gay player to enter the NFL Draft.

The 23-year-old would enter a sport that's often accused of making homosexuality taboo. But that's not how the Florida native sees it.

"Sure there's always pressure being the first at anything," Gendreau said. "At the end of the day it's about football and it's about winning games."

This is groundbreaking territory for a player in the testosterone-fueled sport often accused of making homosexuality taboo.

Earlier this year, San Francisco 49ers defensive back Chris Culliver was forced to apologize after suggesting he wouldn't support a gay teammate.

"We don't got no gay people on the team," Culliver said during a radio show. "They gotta get on outta here if they do."

Gendreau says he's been openly gay since he was 15. He says he's not interested in being popular or breaking barriers, he just wants a chance to play.